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Which of the following statements about the use of intraoperative cell salvaged blood in women undergoing cesarean delivery is most likely true?

Concerns about the risks of amniotic fluid embolism and alloimmunization due to fetal RBC contamination have hindered the widespread use of intraoperative cell salvage (IOCS) during cesarean delivery. Although large prospective trials of IOCS for cesarean delivery have not been performed, more than 400 cases of IOCS in parturients have been reported in the medical literature with no cases of amniotic fluid embolism attributed to infusion of the cell salvaged blood. Studies have found that washing of the collected blood does decrease the amount of alpha-fetoprotein, fetal squamous cells, and other debris present in the collected blood. By adding a leukocyte depletion filter to the washing process, volumes of fetal squamous cells and other products have been found to be reduced even further. In fact, one study found a washing process that included the leukocyte depletion filter resulted in squamous cell concentrations that were lower than those in maternal blood obtained from a femoral catheter. Therefore, when using IOCS in parturients, a leukocyte depletion filter should be used.